Giant mecha brawlers have been a healthy part of VR for many years now. But thankfully they’ve never been too in abundance to become tired. One of the very latest to grace Meta Quest and PCVR headsets is Black Beach Studio’s Iron Rebellion. And as you’ll find in 131XR’s latest review, Iron Rebellion stomps on its competition.
A Rebellious mech
Black Beach originally released Iron Rebellion as an early access title way back in 2021. Since then, the project has garnered a growing fan base who love going head-to-head in team-based matches. The official 1.0 launch of Iron Rebellion took place in December 2024, bringing with it a host of new improvements and additions to refine the experience.
One of the key things to note is that, unlike other mech games, Iron Rebellion is purely focused on multiplayer matches. Whilst that may put some off, for fans of giant mechanical brawlers, there’s a lot to love here.
Find XRSource’s picks of the 7 best VR mech games right here!
Iron Rebellion Review
As mentioned, because this is a multiplayer only title, one of the key elements is getting a match. And 131XR discovers that this isn’t too much of an issue, with matches regularly available with other players – a task other VR multiplayer often suffer with. Which is a great start.
As for the mechs themselves, with three classes available and plenty of upgrade options after you’ve played a few matches, there’s plenty of scope for customisation. They also look the part from the inside. As 131XR notes, the cockpits are cosy and immersive, with plenty of buttons and levers you press and interact with to ensure players are connected to their warmachines.
You can discover all about this and more in 131XR’s review below.
Who wins the Mech wars?
So Iron Rebellion has finally left early access, but what competition is it up against? One of its closest rivals is from Vox Machinae. One of the most highly rated VR mech games, Vox Machinae trumps Iron Rebellion in one key area. It sports a single-player campaign. But it’s not exactly a new game, having launched for VR platforms several years ago. So it’s likely you’ve already played it.
If you’re looking for mech alternatives with single-player campaigns, Underdogs or Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom are worth a look. One Hamsa’s Underdogs is an indie gem where you physically control the mech’s arms in scrappy arena fights. It’s quite the arm workout. Mobile Suit Gundam: Silver Phantom, on the other hand, leverages this anime’s iconic IP to provide a cinematic VR experience. You don’t get to control the mobile suits all the time, as the narrative takes the main focus.
Have you played Iron Rebellion yet? What did you think of 131XR’s review? Let us know in the comments below!
